Art of printing



May 7, 1935- v. PETERsoN ET AL 2,000,094

ART OF PRINTING Filed sept. 14, 1952 Patented Mayr, 193s PATENT OFFICE ART 0F PRINTING Victor Peterson, Chicago, lll., and Archie C. Schaefer, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 14, 1932, Serial No. 633,032

6 Claims.

This-invention relates to improvements in art of printing and more particularly to the art of color printing vwith reliefs and coating material applied to the printing plate or element when the impressions are made.

In color printing, the most common method employed necessitates the use of several color separation printing plates or elements, one for each color used in printing the edition. Such plates are expensive to make and require considerable time and skill in preparing them so that, for certain classes of work, the same are economically prohibitive.y To provide for relatively inexpensive color printing without the use of color separation printing plates where extreme neness in detail is not necessary in the finished product, it has heretofore been proposed to print with the use of relief tympans wherein each relief tympan has the relief areas thereof corresponding to those areas of the desired completed print, which correspond to the particular color being printed while the edition is being given one of its runs through the press, as, for instance, in the- Peterson Patent 962,718 of June 28, 1910, and the Brown Patent 1,509,664 of September 23, 1924.

Certain disadvantages, however, are inherentin the methods of relief color printing heretofore proposed. In the method or process for instance disclosed in said Peterson patent, experience has demonstrated that it is practically impossible to control or confine the printing areas when any particular color is being run to the exact areas intended, it being found that edges of the impression areas are blurred and run out and also that ink will be deposited on other unintended areas on the print receiving sheet. In the process disclosed in said Brown patent, several other disadvantages are inherent among which is the fact that the sand paper employed in that process extends over the entire area of the printing plate; the sand paper is diflicult to remove when changing from one color to another; and furthermore cannot be employed in those cases where an area to be printed is disposed within the outlines ofA another area being printed at the same time in the same color. One object of the present invention is to provide a method or process of printing, and more particularly color printing, utilizing tympan reliefs and` printing plates wherein the areas to be printed in each particular color may be accurately controlled and the outlines of the areas sharply delineated and without smearing or depositing of the ink at undesired points,

(ci. 10i-211) Another object of the invention is to provide a process of the character above indicated wherein the preparation of the printing plate or element is readily eifected with the minimum expenditure of time and labor and without neces- 5 sitating any particular degree of skill on the part of the operator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide `a process of printing particularly adapted for color printing of the character previously inl0 dicated, wherein the printing plate or element, when one run of the edition has been completed, may be quickly and readily cleaned off prepara.- tory to reuse for printing the next succeeding color.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic 20v view indicating a simple color printing job nished in three colors, exclusive of white and black. Figure 2 is a, view similar to Figure 1, illustrating the treatment of the printing plate when used for printing those areas of the print receiving. ele- 25 ment, which are to be in yellow and/or an intermediate color employlngyellow.y Figure 3 is a viewsimilar to Figure 2 but illustrating the preparation and conditioning of the printing plate when used'for printing blue and/or areas 0f an in- 30 termediate color utilizing blue. Figure 4 is a sectional view corresponding to the line 4-4 of Figure 2, of a relief tympan and associated overlay and register block, as employed in conjunction with the printing plate of Figure 2. And Figure 5 35 is a view similar to Figure 4 but corresponding to the section line 5 5 of Figure 3, showing the relief tympan for printing with blue, the associated overlay, register block and theprinting plate in section in superposed position.

In carrying out the process, a. key plate will first be made corresponding to the desired subject to be printed. Such key plate will be made in any well known manner as, for instance, a zinc etching and will be made so as to make line impressions, which lines will correspond to the outlines of the several distinctive color areas of the ultimate desired print. For the simple subject chosen for illustration in Figure 1, said key plate will have provision thereon for printing the live rectangular outlines referenced I0, II, I2, I3 and I4. The two spaced rectangular lines IIJ and II indicate an outer border I 5 to be printed in blue; the two lines I I and I2 define a white or unprinted area I6; the two lines I2 and I3 indicate a yellow area I'I; the two lines I3 and I4 indicate a green area I8; and the center rectangle outline I4 indicates a blue area I9.

After the key plate has been made and locked in place in the press, two sheets or a doubledover sheet of manila. tympan are attached to the platen and underlaid with cardboard and an impression from the key plate pulled on the top tympan sheet and which is also marked to indicate where the usual three guides are located. The top tympan sheet is then cut out at points corresponding to the guide or register block locations; the cardboard underlay is withdrawn; and the guides are then attached by gumming or otherwise to the lower or -underneath tympan sheet in the proper places so as to project through the corresponding openings made therefor in the top tympan sheet.

With the guides in place, a number of black and white key sheet impressions are then made from the key plate, and a number of impressions taken on cardboard of medium thickness. One of the cardboard impressions is then cut out so as to leave in relief those areas corresponding to one of the colors to 'be printed and such cardboard relief is then pasted on to one of the key sheets with the relief areas corresponding to the desired areas of the final print for that color. Similarly, the cardboard reliefs for the remaining colors are cut out and applied to other key sheets so that there is obtained a relief tympan for each color to be printed,

Referring to the drawing, for the yellow, a rectangular cardboard relief will be cut out of the rectangular outline between the lines I2 and I4, inasmuch as the yellow will be employed to print not only the yellow larea I1 but in building up the intermediate area I8 in green. The sections of this relief are indicated at 20-20 in Figure 4 where one of the usual register blocks or guides is indicated at 2 I, the under tympan sheet at 22 and the overlay or upper tympan sheet at 23. Similarly, the cardboard relief for the blue printing will be cut out to correspond to the areas entirely included within the line I3 and the area included within the lines I and I I, portions of said relief being indicated at 24 and 25 in Figure 5. In connection with the central blue area, the same is extended to include the green area, as will be understood, inasmuch as the blue is combined with the yellow in the area I8 to produce the green color.

When the respective different color relief tym- 1 pans have been completed, preparation of the printing plate for the first color printing isY then in order and in this connection it is to be ,understood that the printing plate will initially be a plain surface plate, that is, it initially has no design or etching thereon corresponding to any part of the ultimate print and said press plate will be of an area preferably somewhat in eiorcess of the area of the ultimate print. The first color relief tympan, usually yellow, is'then inserted between the manila tympan sheets above referred to and registered by the guides 2|. The press plate, assuming it to be locked in place in its frame, is inked and a proof impression then taken, it being understood that the impression or print-receiving sheet is placed on top of the upper tympan sheet or overlay and in registered position. The impression thus made will be disclosed on the printing or press plate when the areas corresponding to the tympan relief will have had the ink removed therefrom. The impression so taken will have blurred and smeared edges and in most instances will also be smeared at various other points on the impression sheet. The press or printing plate having the impression area clearly appearing thereon, is then treated as follows.

With the coating material hereinafter more specifically described, the operator then paints on the press plate with a brush covering such portions of the press plate corresponding to those where smearing has taken place on the printreceiving sheet and immediately adjacent all margins of the area corresponding to the impression area. The coating material need not be applied with absolute precision nor should the same be applied exactly up to the margins of the impression area but preferably to within a few points thereof. For the yellow printing, said coating material will be applied to the press plate on portions corresponding to the central area, as indicated at 2l in Figure 2, and around the rectangular outline I2 as indicated at 28, and to such other areas of the press plate where smearing or-undesired contact may have been indicated by the impression. When the coating material has dried on the press plate, and assuming the press plate and corresponding yellow tympan relief in relative register as hereinbefore described, the edition may then be run through the press for the yellow color. Upon completion of the run for the yellow color, the coating material on the press plate is then removed by washing off with hot water as hereinafter described; the blue relief tympan then substituted for the yellow relief tympan in registered position on the platen between the manila tympan sheets; an impression then taken using the blue ink; and the press or printing plate then painted with the coating material around those areas corresponding to the blue areas, as indicated at 29 and 30 in Figure 3, in the same manner as previously described. The same steps are repeated for such additional colors as are to be used in the completed print. Should printing in black berequired in the completed print, the impressions for the black lines are taken from the key plate which may be done by running the edition through the press at any time either before any color impressions are made or after the color impressions have been completed.

The ink-controlling coating material applied to the printing plate hereinbefore referred to should comprise a very finely granulated or comminuted, relatively hard material combined with an adhesive solution such that the mixture will have a paint-like consistency so as to be applied with a brush and dry out and leaving a iinely granulated roughened surface which will not crush under light pressures. Such a coating material that has been found to give highly satisfactory results is comprised of finely powdered bituminous coal, carborundum dust or coke breeze intimately mixed'in a water solution of silicate of soda, preferably in the proportions of two thirds .by volume of the silicate of soda solution and one third by volume of the granulated material, the preferred granulated material being the coke breeze, A slight amount of dye and perfume may be added. The coating material described may be applied with a brush to the desired areas on the printing plate; will dry out quickly, leaving the granulated or comminuted material firmly adhered to the plate; is unaffected by any of the printing inks usually encountered in practice; and mayfreadily be removed by application of hot water. The coating so formed on the printing plate presents a nely roughened surface which, although retaining ink in the depressions or valleys thereof, will not retain any ink on the peaks or high points of the surface so that the impression areas during the printing are accurately and effectively confined or controlled to those exact areas corresponding to the relief portions of the color relief tympans. The coating material is also obviously inexpensive; does not deteriorate if kept properly covered; is applied in such manner as to require the minimum amount for each.

preparation of the printing plate, and may be applied on areas within and spaced from other encircling areas and thus adapted for any color combination or arrangement.

While in the preceding description, the preferred manner of carrying out the invention has been set forth, nevertheless the same is by Way of illustration and not by way of limitation, inasmuch as various changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such changes and modifications are contemplated that come within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The herein described improvement in the art of printing which includes: making a relief tympan with the relief portions thereof corresponding to the areas to be printed; applying a coating of nely granulated material to such portions of an initially plain surface printing plate as to leave uncoated those areas thereon corresponding to said relief printing areas; fixing said relief tympan and coated printing plate in relative register in a printing press with the relief tympan beneath a tympan sheet; inking the printing plate; and then printing the print-receiving sheet while positioned between the printing plate and tympan sheet.

2. The herein described improvement in the art of printing which includes: making a relief tympan with the relief portions corresponding to the areas to be printed and placing the same in a printing press; placing a tympan sheet thereover; making an impression of the relief tympan on an initially plain printing plate; applying a coating of granulated material on portions of said printing plate adjacent the margins of said impression; and then inking the printing plate and printing a print-receiving sheet.

3. The herein described improvement in the art of color printing which includes: making a plurality of relief tympans each With the relief portions thereof corresponding to the respective diierent color areas to be printed; applying a sponding to the relief printing areas of the first color relief tympan to be used; placing said color relief tympan and prepared printing element in relative register in a press with the relief tympan beneath a tympan sheet; printing the edition of print-receiving sheets with said rst color; removing said material from the printing element; substituting the next color relief tympan for the one first used and applying more of said material to the printing element in the same manner as for the first relief tympan; printing the edition of the print-receiving sheets with the second color; and so on for any additional colors.

4. XThe herein described improvement in the art of color printing which includes: ymaking a relief tympan for each color to be printed, each relief tympan having the relief portions thereof corresponding to the areas to be printed in the particular color; for each color run of the edition to be printed, placing the corresponding color relief tympan beneath a tympan sheet, making an impression of the relief tympan on an initially plain printing plate, applying a coating of granulated material on the portions of the printing plate adjacent the margins of the impression and inking the printing plate and printing the printreceiving sheets of the edition.

5. The improvement in the art of color printing set forth in claim 4 wherein, after the completion of one color run, the coating material is removed from the printing plate and the same plate employed for each color run.

6. The herein described improvement in the art of color printing Which-includes: first preparing a key plate; taking a plurality of key sheet impressions and impressions on relief cardboard; cutting out the imprinted cardbcards to provide reliefs corresponding to each of the color areas to be printed and applying the same to the key sheets; for each color run placing the corresponding color relief element beneath a tympan sheet, making an impression on. an initially plain surface printing plate, coating the printing plate on those portions Where an impression is undesired, and printing the print-receiving sheets successively with the different colors and corresponding relief elements and prepared printing plates.

VICTOR PETERSON. ARCI-IIE C. SCHAEFER. 

